Here is a collection of Insights from several CircuIT Consultants from the month of March:

CircuIT Recruitment recently surveyed our clients with a prominent software development focus, in relation to a specific JavaScript library / framework adoption (usage) map. Dinh has summarised our key insights as follows. Firstly, React is now by far the most popular framework, with almost half of CircuIT’s clients deploying React. Secondly, although Angular 1 is still prominent, with almost a quarter of clients still using it, only a select few regarded Angular as being part of their future plans. Angular 2 has proven to be a flop, with a very low adoption rate amongst our clients, with only a handful endorsing its value. Thirdly, Vue has been noted as a massive bolter, now accounting for 10% of our client projects (please refer to Iain’s insights on Vue below). Finally, perhaps the most interesting observation in light of the CircuIT research done thus far, is that close to a quarter of the research pool felt frameworks should be ‘optional’ and had a preference for writing native code.

Although there’s always a new JavaScript framework that hits the market, Iain has noticed an increase in Vue.JS as perhaps the next contender against React and Angular. As a matter of fact, the GitHub repo of Vue.JS is the 3rd most popular JavaScript by number of stars! Vue, is a way to handle frontend architecture between page views and data structures. It’s similar to Angular, but is considered much easier to learn. It’s a great choice for JavaScript developers who want a lightweight framework for small web apps. After discussions with developers within the community, Iain has highlighted that the main benefits of Vue, are its Chrome Dev tool (extension for debugging), and the virtual Dom as it can easily be configured to use Less or SASS.

Given Louise operates largely across the Microsoft domain, she wishes to discuss the leading programming language for .NET applications, which is (obviously) C#! For those non-technical, C# is an object-oriented programming language that is well regarded for its simple, type-safe and modern-day relevant features. For techies, key developments of late, to note, have been the release of the .NET Core open-source development platform, which means that C# can now flourish on non-Windows machines! The latest features of C# V7.0 include improvements with local functions and pattern matching.

Brad has seen a trend for clients looking for permanent Automation Test resources, as there seems to be a shift from a contract driven market in the last half of 2016. Within his clients, and across the market many contractors have been offered permanent roles in place of extensions, and those not willing to accept permanent roles have moved on. As a result, there are some candidates unexpectedly re-entering the market to focus on contract opportunities. Those with strong API testing and who can automate web services, are particularly in demand. Brad is working with a number clients looking to set up their automation environment, and has observed that not everyone is automatically defaulting to Selenium, but looking to assess a few other tools first prior to committing to a long term solution. Educating clients on the speed in which good Testing candidates get snapped up is often required. If the recruitment process is held up by one day, this often results in the candidate receiving more offers, and reducing the chance of the client securing their first choice candidate.

Last week saw some of us at CircuIT Recruitment attend a conference with recruitment keynote speaker, Greg Savage. This conference focused on ways to further fine tune the recruitment process, as well as techniques to change personal/organisational brand images to become future fit. One of the key things that Aoife took home from the day was, that we can’t keep progressing in our careers with the same skills that got us this far. If we want to keep progressing, we need to commit to further learning and up-skilling to move up the career ladder, this is very specific to the IT industry. When having a career discussion with candidates, Aoife likes to help them find ways to further up-skill. Within the Infrastructure and Cloud space, this can be committing to do a new cert every year, such as a CCNA, MCSE or the much sought after AWS Certified Solutions Architect, or as simple as attending some Meet-Up groups.

In March, Team CircuIT took part in an email workshop with Marshall from Email Handyman, where we learnt how to better manage our daily workflow through effective management of our email inbox. Some of the top tips Amie took from the Email Handyman included, reaching inbox zero through structuring your inbox with 4 main folders, turning off email notifications to minimise distractions, and effectively using keyboard shortcuts to navigate, find and process emails. Whilst this was just the start, when used effectively, email is an excellent communication tool, and learning to manage it will ensure you are more productive during the working week.